


Punching Your Way Through

by elem (elem44)



Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: Episode Tag, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-02
Updated: 2017-07-02
Packaged: 2018-11-22 14:51:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11382447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elem44/pseuds/elem
Summary: A Human Error ep addition. Kathryn has a somewhat extreme reaction when she finds Seven’s holodeck program.





	Punching Your Way Through

**Author's Note:**

> This story contains gratuitous Seven bashing. Both literal and figurative. It is not meant to be taken seriously. I’m just having some fun at Seven’s expense. This evolved from a previous story, The Subtle Art of Self Defence, and some discussion as to whether Seven should have been on the receiving end of the boxing gloves. Brianna, crusher and cara mia, this is what happens when you put these sorts of thoughts into my head.
> 
> A big thank you to Kat Lady for the beta and to Camryn for the brilliant fiddle, just wait ‘til you see it.

Kathryn stared in horror at the scene in front of her. A barrage of conflicting emotions battered her insides as she stood stock still in the middle of Seven of Nine’s holodeck recreation. It was like something from her worst nightmare. Seven and Chakotay! God, no.

The Doctor had summoned her to sickbay to speak to her about Seven of Nine’s collapse. He was very worried about the young woman. His official report had noted that she’d suffered an overload in her cybernetic systems and had been found unconscious on the holodeck. Fortunately she’d recovered quickly, and was now safely ensconced in the cargo bay regenerating.

Kathryn had made her way to sickbay, completely unprepared for the news that would greet her on her arrival.

Standing in front of the Doctor she’d tried to hide her shocked disbelief as he explained what had happened to Seven, and the precipitating factors that had led her collapse.

Seven and a hologram of Chakotay? Romantic simulations? Sexual relations? Oh God! Did Chakotay know? Apparently not, according to the Doctor.

Anger surged. Seven had lied to her. All that time she’d spent on the holodeck while the ship was being pummelled by the subspace warheads, having led Kathryn to believe she was working on a new gravimetric array, she’d in fact been seducing Chakotay. Well, his hologram at least, but how long would it take her to make a grab for the real thing? Kathryn shook her head. Seven’s lessons in humanity were certainly coming along swimmingly. God damn it. The Doctor had tried to make excuses for the young woman but Kathryn was beyond being reasoned with. How dare she? The manipulative, conniving, over-endowed…..Kathryn’s hands curled into tight fists and she marched out of sickbay straight to the holodeck.

She had to see this. It was just too much. The very thought was enough to make Kathryn sick to her stomach and the sense of betrayal was almost overwhelming. Calling up Seven’s holodeck logs she activated a replay of the simulation. Her gut clenched and anger roiled through her as she watched the appalling dinner preparation scene. If she wasn’t so angry, she would have laughed. That’s how little Seven knew. Rack of lamb? He was a vegetarian for God’s sake. The stupid…. She cringed as she watched their pathetic flirtations and Seven’s clumsy attempts at seduction.

There was no denying Seven was a beautiful young woman, with her skin tight red dress and her overly obvious charms. All of which made Kathryn even more rabid with rage. She could have anyone she wanted. Why Chakotay? Stupid question. The answer was obvious, but … the grasping little so and so. Having to watch them kiss made Kathryn growl out loud.

She skipped ahead in the program. She just couldn’t bring herself to watch them have sex. Now they were snuggling on the couch and she had to stop herself from physically hauling the woman off the settee and slamming her against the wall. The whole scenario was insane and surely could only exist in this fabricated universe of Seven’s overactive imagination.

Kathryn took some deep breaths. She was a reasonable woman. Really, she was. She’d put up with a hell of a lot over the years. Vidiians, Kazon, Hirogen, Devore, the Borg and that bitch Queen. She’d been beaten up, burnt, deceived and disappointed by more than her fair share of adversaries over the years, and although she’d been dealt some grievous blows since her arrival in the Delta Quadrant, she’d coped. She’d dealt with the lot, and done a damn good job of it, but this went beyond the pale. Chakotay belonged to her and not to this upstart Borg wannabe. He was the one thing that was non-negotiable in this bizarre excuse for a life that they led here in the Delta Quadrant. The presumption of the wench! There was a hell of a lot of Borg left in that voluminous body. What Seven couldn’t have, she just assimilated. Kathryn was tempted to march down to cargo bay two and tear strips off the arrogant young woman, or better still, blow her out an airlock, but she held herself in check.

The Doctor assured her that he’d spoken to Seven about the inappropriateness of using unsolicited recreations of the crew for this sort of ‘research’ and because of the problems with her cortical node, she would have to now curtail her pursuit of this activity. If Kathryn had been thinking clearly, she might have considered that punishment enough, but nothing was going to appease her at this point. She wanted revenge and she wanted it big time. Not just for the gross impropriety of using Chakotay’s image as a holographic sex aid, but for lying and generally being a thorn in her side for all these years. Kathryn had tolerated Seven’s abrasiveness, her flouting of regulations and protocols, her oppositional and intransigent nature and her smug overconfidence. Oh God, how many times had she wanted to slap that holier-than-thou look of superiority off that flawless visage? Oh, for sure, Seven had saved the day many times, but how often had she been the catalyst or cause of situations that had put them all in mortal danger. Too damn many to count.

Also her constant confrontations and arguments with the young Borg had been something she could have well done without, not to mention having to put up with the complaints from half the crew about Seven’s insolent attitude and inability to integrate. The bubbling fury was rising closer and closer to the surface and it was about to blow. Kathryn had tried so hard with the young woman, and in the end this was how she’d been repaid. Set to explode, she couldn’t bear to look on the horrific scene any longer. “Computer, end and delete program.”

Standing in the centre of the empty holodeck she took a few more deep breaths and tried to think this through logically, and then an evil glint lit her eyes. Logic be damned. That was a much better idea. Oh, yes. That would work. That would work very well.

Kathryn made her way to the control panel and began feeding it information. A wicked smile crept across her features. After about ten minutes, she heaved a satisfied sigh, and slapped the console. Done. “Computer begin program, Janeway Revenge.”

The holodeck came to life. It was Chakotay’s boxing program. Kathryn wandered over to the ring and grinned wickedly at her creation. Sitting in the middle of the canvas was a freestanding punching bag. It had a heavy rounded base so when you punched it and knocked it over, it would right itself again. It stood at about her height, but what made this punching bag so pleasing to Kathryn was that it had been fashioned with a facsimile of Seven from the waist up. It sported that familiar supercilious expression and Kathryn was going to so enjoy wiping that off her face. Ooooo, she couldn’t wait. Her very own Punching Borg. She laughed aloud at her appalling pun.

She raced to the changing room and emerged a few minutes later kitted out in a pair of shorts and tee, soft boots and a pair of vicious looking boxing gloves. Hopping up onto the canvas she ducked through the ropes and stood for a moment in front of the Punching Borg, admiring her handiwork. She rolled her neck and shoulders, loosening up the tense muscles, and bounced from one foot to the other, quickly warming up and letting the anticipation build. This was going to feel so good. She dodged and feinted in front of the likeness, and then the memory of the kiss between Seven and Chakotay flashed through her mind. Hauling back her fist she let fly. Thwack! Seven’s head rocked back and then snapped forward again. Kathryn let out a whoop. “Ha! Yesss!” She pulled her fist back again and slammed it right into that perfect nose. Bam! Up it came again. Kathryn swung around from the right with all her might and slammed into its jaw. The head spun to the left then swung back to the front. Smash! An uppercut this time. Ooooo, this felt so good. All the moments of Seven’s irritating and obnoxious behaviour began to crowd Kathryn’s mind and she began to list them all off as she slammed her fists into the Punching Borg.

A right hook. Bam! “That’s for Kes.” Jab and follow through. “That’s for Species 8472.” An uppercut. Thwack! “That’s for the B’omar.”

Kathryn was away. All the years of pent up frustrations and unresolved anger came gushing to the surface like a virulent geyser. She was giving the Seven punching bag an absolute trouncing and it felt so damn good.

Chakotay was sitting on the bridge trolling though crew rotation schedules when the call came through from the Doctor. Kathryn had been summoned to sick bay about an hour before and she’d not returned. He knew it had something to do with Seven and her latest illness, so she was probably down in the cargo bay visiting her pet Borg. He shook his head. Not nice, Chakotay, but her relationship with the drone irked him on many levels. He readily admitted the main driving force for his antipathy was jealousy. He resented the time Kathryn put in with the woman. Seven was forever seeking Kathryn’s approval but they were often at loggerheads. How many times had he had to sit through an evening of Kathryn venting her frustrations about the Borg drone? It was damned tedious.

The Doctor sounded anxious. “Commander, could you come to sick bay please. I wish to speak to you about something.”

“Doctor, can this wait? I’m in the mid…”

“I wish it could, Commander, but it’s urgent.”

Chakotay looked over at Tuvok and rolled his eyes. “On my way, Doctor.” He stood and jogged up the stairs “Tuvok, the bridge is yours. You know where I’ll be.”

Tuvok nodded and made his way to the command chairs as Chakotay stepped into the turbo lift. “Deck five.”

He really didn’t have time for this. The EMH and his paranoid ramblings could be tiresome at the best of times and he didn’t have time to waste dealing with the Doctor’s petty problems. He marched into sickbay hoping that this would be quick. “Yes, Doctor. What did you want to see me about?”

“Ah, Commander. Thank you for being so prompt.” Chakotay was loathe to point out that he’d been left with little choice. Anyway, on to the problem.

“Yes, Doctor. What can I do for you?”

“Well, it’s the Captain. She…”

That got Chakotay’s attention. “The Captain? What’s wrong?”

“Well, you see, it’s not just the….umm. Seven was… I’m not sure if…”

Chakotay wanted to shake the man. He couldn’t stand all this dithering. “Doctor. Report! What about the Captain?”

The Doctor jumped back at the harsh tone but explained. “I spoke to the captain earlier today about Seven of Nine’s cortical node overload. It involved a holoprogram that Seven had been running.”

Chakotay nodded, encouraging the Doctor to continue.

The Doctor grimaced and looked very uncomfortable. “The holoprogram was a research project. She’s been trying to improve her social skills by running simulations of social settings with holographic representations of the crew. Unfortunately, she decided to jump forward a few chapters and went straight from ‘Toast of the Town’ to ‘The Ins and Outs of Intimacy’.” The Doctor looked quite pained. “It was something of a leap.”

Chakotay shook his head. He had no idea what the Doctor was talking about, but he gathered it had something to do with Seven’s collapse and Kathryn’s absence. “Fine, Doctor. Can we just cut to the chase here? What’s this got to do with the captain?”

“Seven collapsed due to an overload in her cortical implant. It was caused by a Borg failsafe mechanism that is activated if strong emotions are evoked…. She was in an intimate situation. A very intimate situation. Emotions were evoked and … it overloaded.”

Chakotay shuddered slightly. The picture this painted was not one he liked to contemplate. Seven of Nine in an intimate situation. In other words, Borg sex. No thanks. But he was still none the wiser as to how this might involve Kathryn. If Seven was having sex with a hologram of one of the…..shock slammed into him. Oh God, please no. Seven had been having Borg sex with a holographic Kathryn and collapsed? He reeled at the thought. Kathryn would be livid, no, make that horrified. He knew that Seven admired Kathryn, but would she go so far….. Oh Spirits. He didn’t really want to go there. He stared at the Doctor. “She didn’t?”

The Doctor looked apologetic. “I’m afraid she did.”

Chakotay dropped his head back and closed his eyes. Poor Kathryn.

The Doctor continued talking, but Chakotay was barely listening. “Yes, I’m afraid Seven has overstepped the bounds this time. The captain was very upset. Seven has been spoken to, and she won’t do it again. She hadn’t realised that using a holographic representation of you was against regulations. We had been using simulations of all the crew members in our social gathering scenar….”

“Whoa, hold on, Doctor. Rewind a bit here. A holographic representation of me?” God, could this get any worse? “She used me to have…”

He ran his hand through his hair. “Shit. The arrogant…. Fuck! How dare she?”

“Commander, I don’t see that there is any need to use profanities here. The situation is well in hand. I…”

“I don’t care what you think. You’ve got a Borg drone playing fast and loose with holograms of the crew, and having sexual relations with a facsimile of the second in command. What would happen if the capt….” He looked at the Doctor in dismay. “You told her, didn’t you? You told the captain.” Chakotay slapped his hand on his combadge as he spun around and left sickbay at a run.

“Chakotay to Janeway.” No answer. Damn. He tried again. “Chakotay to Captain Janeway. Please respond.”

He didn’t really want to think what Kathryn would do to Seven. Probably the same thing he’d wanted to do when he thought it was Kathryn that the Borg was ….. No, let’s not go there.

He was almost to the lifts and there was still no answer from Kathryn. “Computer, locate Captain Janeway.’

“The captain is in holodeck two.” Holodeck two? He hated to think. He leapt into the turbo lift. “Deck six. Computer, locate Seven of Nine.”

“Seven of Nine is in cargo bay two.”

Sighing with relief he pushed his way through the partially opened doors and ran up the corridor to the entrance of Holodeck two. Seven was safe. He checked the program. Janeway Revenge? Well, safe-ish. He hesitated for a split second. Did he really want to see this? It could be gruesome. No, he had a duty to check and make sure Kathryn was alright. She was his captain after all. He tapped in his override and the doors slid open.

He stepped through into the familiar surrounds of his boxing program. He could hear her yelling and the grizzly sound of leather on flesh. He moved past the lockers until he had an uninterrupted view of the ring. There she was, and she was magnificent. He smiled as he watched her dancing around the canvas, skipping left and feinting right in perfect formation. Just as he’d taught her. His chest swelled and his groin twitched as his eyes followed her. She was something else.

There was a punching bag in the centre of the ring. Looking a little more closely, his eyes widened in surprise. The top half of the bag was Seven of Nine or rather, a holographic copy of her. Kathryn slammed her gloved fist into the face of the Borg with a resounding thump. The bag dropped to the floor only to spring back up again ready for the next punch. Each time she hit it she yelled at it.

Bang! “That’s for the goddamned Vardwar. You just had to wake them up. No shortcuts for us.”

Biff! “That’s for Marika Willkarah and the other drones, you selfish…”

Bam! “That’s for your stupid conspiracy theories and making me doubt him.”

Thwack! “That’s for Icheb and the damn cortical implant.”

Slam! “That’s for Iko and your goddamned – they can fix anything – nanoprobes.”

The punching bag wobbled precariously. It had obviously taken some punishment. The Seven face was looking a little worse for wear. There were a few dents in the porcelain complexion and the hair was sticking out at odd angles. Chakotay leant against the side of the lockers as he watched. Kathryn put her hands on her hips and strutted around the dishevelled punching bag. She got nice and close and yelled in its face. “You stay away from Chakotay. Do you hear? You are not to talk, touch or go anywhere near him. If you do….” She turned her back on the bag. Her chest was heaving and she was covered in sweat.

Swinging back around, she stared at the face on the punching bag for a moment and then hauled her arm back. “Oh fuck it. Just stay away from him, you Borg bitch. Assimilate this. He’s mine!” And she slammed her fist into Seven’s face so hard that Chakotay cringed. She stared at it for a moment longer and then swung away. “Computer, delete punching bag.”

She climbed through the ropes and made her way towards the changing rooms. Chakotay ducked behind some lockers until she was past and watched as she deleted her gloves and then pulled off her tee as she walked to the showers. Blood surged to his groin. She stirred him every time. God, he loved this woman. He heard the shower start and followed the sound, unzipping his jacket as he went.

She was standing in the open shower block under the streaming water with her head back and her eyes closed. He undressed quietly, then stood and watched her for a moment, his eyes sweeping over the graceful lines of her body. Her full breasts and slim waist with that slightly rounded belly, the flared hips and her shapely legs. It was quite a package, and one that could pack a wallop by the look of things.

Moving towards her silently, he opened his arms to wrap them around her when she suddenly came to life. Her reflexes were sharp. She kicked out at him and swung her arm to hit him. He managed to dodge the kick and grabbed her hands. “Whoa! Easy, Kathryn. It’s me.”

Her eyes were bright with the adrenalin rush and it took her a second to recognise who it was. “Chakotay! What the…” The tension left her instantly. “Shit! You could give me some warning.”

“You usually know when I’m near. Your Chakotay sensors must be out of alignment.”

She chuckled and wrapped her arms around him. Running her hands over his smooth back and buttocks, she grabbed handfuls of warm flesh and squeezed gently, pressing herself hard against him.

He groaned. “Your forward array is working just fine though.”

Kathryn had her face tucked into his shoulder and she smiled against him. “You feel so wonderful. I’m glad you’re here.”

“So am I.” His hands stroked down over her back and nestled under her bottom as she lifted her leg and let her warm centre slide down his thigh. “Spirits, so am I.” His head dipped and he captured a taut nipple in his mouth and sucked hard. Her head dropped back and she groaned, thrusting her breast towards his hot mouth. One of his hands was playing along her lower back, dipping into the crevice between her buttocks, teasing and lightly touching, while the other pulled at her nipple and massaged her other breast.

Her hips rocked gently as she rubbed herself against his thigh, occasionally jerking and jolting at his touch. Arousal was building quickly, as it always did.

They were well practised in their ability to stimulate one another, as familiar with each others bodies as they were with their own. Hands and mouths travelled well known paths as the gasps and groans of gentle and sweet loving filled the shower room.

Kathryn was leaning back against the tiled wall, with her arms spread wide. “Oh God, Chakotay, yes, there.” Her fingers curled as she tried to find purchase on the smooth surface. She moaned again as his mouth played along her folds, his tongue, teeth and fingers making love to her as the water cascaded over his back and streamed over her heated flesh.

Her hands grabbed at his head and her fingers dragged through his hair, one moment pushing him away, when the sensations became too intense, only to pull him back towards her the next, holding his mouth hard against her swollen folds. The feeling was almost too exquisite. She began rocking against his mouth, the flames of her climax licking at the edges of her arousal, ready to consume her.

Sensing that she was near, he kissed his way back up her body and pressed his lips to hers in a deep and passionate kiss. Tongues entwined and lips moulded together as they moaned into each others mouths. Kathryn tugged at his lips with her teeth and sucked on the fullness of his bottom lip, drowning in the feel and taste of him. So familiar, but always with a subtle shade of something that tempted her, making her want to delve deeper.

Her hand slid down between their wet bodies and stroked up and down his shaft. She loved the feel of him, the heat, the heaviness and the solidness. Her hand slid lower, cupping him and pressing her finger into the tight muscle behind. He groaned and thrust into her hand. She felt him tighten and knew he was teetering on the brink as well.

As his gaze locked with hers a wonderful surge of love seared through her. Looking into those beloved eyes, so filled with wonder and love for her, made her breath catch and her heart swell. She kissed him deeply and tears shimmered in her eyes. She loved this man with all that she was.

His hand slid down her front, over her mons and through her folds, lightly massaging her swollen nub. She rocked against his hand, gasping into his chest as her fingers gripped his shoulders fiercely.

He took a shuddering breath and whispered. “My life.”

She was mumbling endearments, and as he plunged two fingers deep inside her, she answered with a frantic whimper. “My love. Ahh.”

Pulling his hand from her and grasping both of hers, he lifted them above her head. She found the shower head and grabbed on as he hoisted her into the air. Wrapping her legs around his waist she slid down the slick wall until the hot tip of his erection rested at her opening. He played it along her folds and when he was positioned, thrust into her as she dropped down onto him.

The feel of him stretching her and filling her always surprised her and Kathryn’s head snapped back as she gasped. “Oh, God. So good.”

Holding her around the waist, he gently ground against her in a slow easy rhythm. One of his hands slid under her buttocks, supporting her as her arms dropped around his shoulders. Meeting his unhurried thrusts with small thrusts of her own, she undulated against him.

A groan escaped as he increased his pace and watched her face. Open mouthed and panting, she grunted each time their bodies met. She gazed at him through half closed lids, and rocked in counterpoint, taking him deeper and deeper with each push. As her movements became more ragged and he could feel the telltale tightening, he moved harder against her, holding her hips firmly and pounding into her warmth.

He swelled within her and watched as the familiar flush rose up over her breasts and her nipples puckered into hard points. Her mouth opened in a silent scream and her head arched back as her orgasm took her. Her body juddered and spasmed, and he held her close as her pleasure washed over him, carrying him with her into bliss. He thrust once, then held her tight against him as he spilled into her with shuddering jolts. Her inner muscles pulsed and milked him until they were both spent.

Holding her close and still imbedded deep within her, he slid to the floor. They rested against the cool tiles panting and smiling at one another under the flow of the warm shower. Kathryn laid her head on his shoulder and kissed his neck, nipping and licking the skin below his jaw.

Stroking her hair, he chuckled and could feel her smile against him. “Feel better now?”

“God, who wouldn’t?” She laughed quietly. “I always feel better afterwards. You know that.” She snuggled closer.

“No. I meant after your session of Borg therapy.” He pulled his head away and looked at her.

Her mouth twisted into an embarrassed grin. “You saw?’ He nodded and she rested her forehead on his chin. “God, please don’t tell anyone, will you? I’m sure that’s a court martial offence.” He waited, then her eyes flicked up to his and sparkled with mirth. “But, you bet I feel better. I know it shouldn’t have, but it felt wonderful. I hadn’t realised how frustrated I was with her, and this latest…episode was just the last straw.”

He nodded. “Hmmm.”

“The Doctor told you, didn’t he?”

He swept the wet hair from her face. “Yes he did, in a very round about way. At one stage I got so confused with his explanation that I thought she’d been having sex with a holographic version of you.” Kathryn looked at him wide eyed and he shuddered. “I think we’ll have to take a look at the Doctor’s expressive sub-routines. He had a lot of trouble explaining exactly what had happened. Although, I do know he was worried you were going to toss Seven out an airlock.” He chuckled.

“Don’t laugh, I thought about it. Seriously. But then I came up with my solution, which was so much more satisfying and considerably less fatal.” She laughed, but then became serious. “But I realised something else though.” She ran her fingers over his cheek and leant forward and kissed him sweetly.

He clasped her hand and kissed her palm. “What did you realise?”

She leant against his shoulder again and whispered. “It was my fault.”

He shook his head, ‘here we go’, and pushed her head up so he could look in her eyes. “Kathryn, not everything is your fault. This was entirely Seven’s doing, and the Doctor’s, if you really want to get technical about it.”

She shook her head then leaned forward rubbing her cheek against his as her hand stroked over his chest. “No, but if I hadn’t insisted on keeping our relationship a secret, none of this would have happened. I blame myself.”

He huffed out a laugh. “Of course you do, but Kathryn, you weren’t to know.”

“No, but neither was Seven or anybody else for that matter. But no more.” She looked at him with eyes burning with love and determination. “As of tonight, everyone is going to know that we’re a couple, and that you’re mine.” She slid her hand into his hair and tugged his face towards her and whispered against his lips. “And I’m yours.”

She poured her heart and soul into the kiss and Chakotay was left with no doubt whatsoever as to whom they each belonged.

Some time later the command team marched on to the bridge and as Tuvok vacated the captain’s chair they took their seats. Kathryn flipped up the central console to check the ship’s current status. Everything was running efficiently. She looked at Chakotay and gave him wink and a smile then turned towards the con. “Mr Paris?”

Tom swung around to face his captain. “Yes, Captain?”

“Tom, is Sandrines still running?”

Tom blinked. “Um yes, I can get it up and running no problem. We haven’t used it for a while, but the program is still there.” He watched as she turned towards Chakotay and gave him a meaningful look. Tom spoke up. “Planning on a little hustling, Captain. I have to warn you, my game’s improved.”

“Ah, but has it improved enough, Mr Paris?” She gave him a deadpan look, and raised her eyebrow. Her eyes darted to Chakotay then back to Tom again. “Ok Tom, if you can get Sandrine’s fired up, we’ll meet you there at 20:00 for a showdown.”

Tom looked at the self-satisfied look on Chakotay’s face. He assumed the ‘we’ meant the captain and her first officer, and saw this as a perfect opportunity to push the point. He knew most of the crew had given up on them ever being together, but he still had this romantic notion of wanting to see them as a couple and happy. “I take it you’ll be coming with the Captain, Commander?”

Kathryn reached over and patted Chakotay’s hand and he turned and grinned at her. Tom’s jaw almost hit the floor as she answered. “Of course, Tom. Where else would he be but at my side?” Tom’s eyes flicked up to the ops station, but Harry was turned away, checking something behind him on the wall console and no one else seemed to be paying attention. He was the only one who had seen the touch and heard the blatant expression of affection. Damn!

They were both looking at him now and he nodded his head. “Uh, yeah. Sure Captain. 20:00 hrs.” He turned back to his station in a bit of a fog. He wasn’t sure what he’d seen now. Maybe he’d been hallucinating.

Kathryn and Chakotay spent the rest of the shift going over the remainder of the crew rotation schedules, their heads together over the central console as they whispered quietly to one another. They watched Tom’s shoulders tense every now and then as the occasional word of their conversation drifted his way. Kathryn couldn’t help tormenting the hapless pilot and whispering words like ‘dinner’, ‘your quarters’, ‘later’ and ‘breakfast’ slightly louder than the rest of the conversation. Tom was all but bursting at the seams by the end of shift.

As the Alpha shift left the bridge Tom pulled Harry aside. “Well, did you see them?”

“See who?”

Tom rolled his eyes. “The captain and Chakotay. They were practically all over each other.”

Harry looked at his friend as if he was insane. “Don’t tell me. You’re getting low on rations for some anniversary or other that you’ve forgotten, and you’re trying to get the Command Couple pool going again. Tom, it won’t work. It’s never going to happen. It’s been almost seven years. Don’t you think they’d be together by now if it was going to happen? Give yourself a break.” Harry shook his head. “Give us all a break.”

Tom opened his mouth to push his point and then gave up. “Ok. Have it your way, but come to Sandrine’s tonight. I think you’re going to be in for a shock.”

Harry shook his head sadly. “I’ll be there, but only to see you trounced again by the captain. I think everyone will be down there to see that. Perhaps you should put some rations on the captain to win. That’ll get you out of your bind.”

Tom shook his head. “Very funny, but you’ll see. I won’t even bet you. But I know I’m right. Something big is going to happen tonight. Something really big. I can feel it in the air.”

Harry slapped his friend on the back as they entered the turbo lift. “I think you’ll find that that’s the air recyclers in need of maintenance, but I’ll take your word for it.” He laughed at his friend’s sour expression.

Kathryn and Chakotay entered Sandrine’s arm in arm just after 20:00. The place was packed. Word had got around about the showdown between the captain and Paris and most of the off duty personnel were there. That fit perfectly into their plans. Mind you, if the rumour mill was worth its salt, anything that happened in Sandrine’s tonight would be all over the ship by morning. If nothing else, you could rely on the warp capability of gossip.

They’d decided that they weren’t going to worry about touches and looks tonight. They would behave as they would if they were just regular people. It would be nice for a change.

Tom nudged Harry when they walked through the door. “See? Look, she’s hanging off him, and he’s nuzzling her ear. And the way he’s looking at her. You can’t tell me _that’s_ not different?”

Harry shrugged. “They do that all the time. He’s just whispering to her. You’re imagining things. Besides, they’re off duty. They should be able to relax. Come on, let’s go and say hello.”

Tom couldn’t believe everyone was so blind. B’Elanna had rolled her eyes at him as well and told him that he was delusional. Her argument was that Chakotay would have told her if anything that momentous had happened. She was talking to them at the moment so he followed Harry to join them.

“Good evening, Captain, Chakotay. Hey, B’E.” He leant forward and gave his wife a kiss and patted her hand where it rested on her pregnant belly. “How are my girls going?”

B’Elanna leant against him. “We’re fine. So Captain, are you ready? I’ve got a week’s worth of rations on you to win.”

Tom stared at his wife. “What!?” He took a step back. “You bet against me? I’m shattered.”

B’Elanna shrugged. “Don’t be. Everyone has.” She turned to the captain and grinned as Tom’s face fell into a sad look of dejection. “I’ll go and rack them up, shall I?” He wandered off and Harry and B’Elanna turned to watch him go.

Chakotay put his arm around Kathryn’s waist and whispered in her ear if she’d like a drink. She nodded. “The usual.” And smiled lovingly at him. Harry and B’Elanna turned back towards them just as Chakotay left for the bar, missing the exchange.

Kathryn looked over towards the pool table. Tom was standing there with a pool cue in one hand, the break rack in the other and his eyes as wide as saucers. She smiled at him and winked. He blinked and then grinned broadly, banging his cue on the ground with a loud “Yes!” He knew he wasn’t crazy. Now, all he had to do was to convince everyone else, find out how it had happened and how long it had been going on. He scanned the room. Everybody else seemed oblivious. He couldn’t wait to see Harry and B’Elanna’s face when they found out they were wrong. Tonight was going to be a good night. He was now thinking very seriously of changing his mind about that bet with Harry. It was hard to go past a sure thing.

Kathryn and Chakotay wandered over to the pool table when Tom waved to them that all was ready. Chakotay leant back against the fireplace as Kathryn wandered over to the cue rack. Tom piped up from the other side of the table. “Captain, aren’t you going to use the Commander’s stick?”

She turned to him and without a moments pause, shot back. “I already have. You can break, Tom.”

Tom just stood there, completely gob-smacked. She’d said it. He looked around frantically to see if anyone else had heard, but he’d been the only one. This was torture. He was the holder of the secret of the century, but no one else would believe him. He drifted in a daze up to the end of the table and broke. Badly. He only potted one striped ball. He turned around to see Chakotay smiling at him, and sidled over to him while the captain had her shot.

“So, it’s true then.”

“What’s that, Paris?”

“You and the captain?”

“What about me and the captain?”

“Things have changed?”

“Nothing’s changed. Things are the same as they’ve been for years.” He nodded over towards the table. “Looks like you’ve lost this one, Paris.” Tom took a cursory glance over his shoulder. Losing a game of pool was the least of his worries. He gave Chakotay an exasperated look. “I don’t care about that….”

“That’s a pity, Mr Paris, because you now owe me a weeks worth of rations.” The captain had cleared the table and joined the two men.

Tom looked at her and she stared back at him, daring him to say something. In the end he couldn’t do it. Too many years of being pinned by that death glare made him retreat. He just wasn’t that brave.

She fought the urge to smile at the poor man’s predicament. He would be in the know soon enough. She turned to Chakotay. “Care for a game, Commander?”

“Another one, Kathryn?”

“No, just a different one.”

Tom shook his head. It must be some sort of code. He had no idea what they were talking about. They left him standing there looking very perplexed.

The command team set up and played, flirting and laughing throughout the game. Tom was set to explode, but there was no solid evidence that their relationship had changed. Just the few things that he’d seen, and nobody else seemed the least bit interested in what was going on. He wandered back to the bar and stood with B’Elanna and Joe Carey. They were discussing upgrades to the warp core, and his mind shut out the technospeak as his gaze drifted around the room. Harry was talking to a group from Stellar Cartography. The Delaney sisters were holding court with several eager ensigns from Security. Everything was quiet and peaceful. He turned back to the pool table. Ayala and Chell were now in the middle of a game. So where were the captain and Chakotay? He eyes darted around the room trying to find them, but his attention was caught by the sound of breaking glass. Several people turned to look. It was Susan Nicoletti. She was standing, staring straight ahead, frozen in shock. Her mouth was hanging open and her hand was still out in front of her as if she was holding a drink, but the shattered glass and its contents were on the floor. Tom followed her gaze, as did many other people in the room. As eyes became riveted to the scene in front of them, silence washed over the crowd like a slow moving wave until all were quiet and staring flabbergasted at the scene before them.

The captain and Commander were kissing.

They were on the balcony, but clearly visible through the windows and they were kissing. Like really kissing. Their arms were wrapped around one another and their faces were pressed together in a rapturous lip lock. You could have heard a pin drop, but instead they heard Chakotay groan and their captain say. “I love you, sweetheart.”

Tom, turned to B’Elanna and anyone else who was in hearing range and shattered the moment with a loud. “See, I told you.”

Kathryn and Chakotay turned to find the entire room of people staring and smiling at them through the windows of Sandrine’s.

Just at that moment the front doors opened and the Doctor and Seven walked in. “Doctor, I do not wish to be involved in any more of these social gatherings.”

He patted her hand. “Seven, you can’t give up just because you hit a bump in the road.”

“I consider my near demise as something more than a mere ‘bump in the road’. I wish to leave.”

“Seven, stay for a moment. You’ve been forbidden to use holograms of the crew so we have to resort to the next best thing. The real crew.”

Just then the unnatural quiet of the room was shattered by a loud whoop from Tom Paris. The new arrivals took a small step back and then realised that the rest of the patrons were all looking towards the balcony. They followed the crew’s stares. Seven’s perfect brow creased and the Doctor stifled a gasp. Their command team were walking in through the French doors. The Doctor realised that they must have missed something significant and he looked around to find someone to fill them in. Harry was over near the bar, watching the proceedings with a huge smile on his face.

The Doctor tapped his arm. “Ensign. What’s happened?”

Harry grinned. “Something that I never would have thought. Tom was right. I’ll be…”

The Doctor frowned. “You’ll be what?”

Harry turned to the EMH. “What?”

“You said ‘I’ll be….’?”

“You’ll be what, Doctor?”

“What?” Now the Doctor was terribly confused.

Harry just shook his head and made a mental note to take a look at the Doctor’s expressive subroutines. There was obviously something not quite right there. He smiled again. “Isn’t it wonderful?”

“What? Isn’t what wonderful?”

“The Captain and the Commander. I wonder how long….” Harry was looking happily at his commanding officers.

“Ensign, ‘how long’ what?” The Doctor was becoming exasperated. Why couldn’t he get a straight answer? He followed Harry’s gaze and his eyes widened in amazement. The captain was standing next to the commander. No surprise there, but….. The commander had his arm wrapped firmly around the Captain’s shoulders and she in turn had her arm wrapped tightly around his waist. He flicked his eyes to Seven to see how she was taking this revelation. The crew were moving towards the command couple to show their support and approval and offer their congratulations. Seven was still watching with a frown and spoke to no one in particular. “It appears I was in error.”

“Are you alright, Seven?” The Doctor was concerned for her.

“I am undamaged, Doctor, although my cognitive node must be malfunctioning. I did not perceive the Captain and Commander’s relationship as being romantic in nature. I obviously have much to learn. However, I still feel that I would have made a more suitable mate for the commander.” The Doctor opened his mouth to say something but she continued. “But I will forego my pursuit in consideration of the circumstances.”

The Doctor nodded his head, very relieved. “I think that is a sound idea in light of her reaction….”

Seven turned towards him. “What reaction is that, Doctor?”

The EMH squirmed. “I was concerned about you and wanted to speak to the Captain about what happened. After all, she has always been your mentor and confidante. I just hadn’t counted on her reaction.”

“I gather it was extreme, which is understandable now that their connection has been revealed. I should explain.” She strode off towards the command team.

The Doctor scuttled along behind calling her. “Seven! Seven, I don’t think….” Too late.

She stood right in front of Kathryn and Chakotay. “Captain and Commander, I was unaware that you were involved in a sexual relationship.” She made a calculated inspection of them both and gave a slight nod. “It is an adequate match. Had I known, I would not have used your template for my research.” She looked at Chakotay coldly. “I had intended to approach you, Commander, as a possible mate for myself, but I shall look elsewhere now that I’m aware that you are under obligation to the Captain.” She didn’t notice Kathryn’s hands tighten into fists.

“Seven.” The Doctor tried to steer her away from the pair. “I think it’s…. You should perhaps…..” Seven turned to him and frowned. “I think we should …..” The Doctor was having a few problems getting his message across. He made a mental note to have his expressive subroutines looked at over the next few days. This was happening with alarming frequency. Could a hologram suffer from stress?

Chakotay noted that a small crowd had gathered around them. All were looking on in astonishment.

B’Elanna couldn’t contain herself. “Seven! What in Kahless’ name have you been doing? Has this got anything to do with the ‘pleasing coiffure’ question the other day? So help me if you’ve been gallivanting around the holodeck with holograms of me or Tom, I’ll….”

The Doctor jumped to Seven’s defence. “Lieutenant, it wasn’t like that at all.”

“Yeah, well it better not have been. I may be eight months pregnant but I’m not past breaking a few noses if I have to.” She turned to Seven and spoke directly to her. “Do you hear that, Seven?”

“You message is clear, Lieutenant.” Seven turned to the doctor. “Have we now stayed for our ‘moment’, Doctor?”

The EMH looked at the Captain, who just shrugged. She was still suffering from an acute case of Seven antipathy

The Doctor took Seven’s elbow and gestured that they should leave. Seven nodded to the captain and commander and spoke to the Doctor as he led her away. “Doctor, you are a hologram. Perhaps we could come to some arrangement in regard to my research into human mating habits. Would this be an acceptable solution to our problem?”

The Doctor stammered and spluttered. “Seven, I don’t…. this is really not….. perhaps….ummm.”

Seven looked at him with concern. “Before we embark on research into the ‘Methods and Mechanics of Mating’, I think I should recalibrate your expressive subroutines, you seem to be having some difficulty.”

The Doctor groaned. “You have no idea.”

Kathryn and Chakotay grinned at each other and watched the unlikely couple exit the holodeck. Their attention was caught by Tom who was set to burst. “Ok, ok. When did this happen? How did this happen? How long has it been happening? Oh, and congratulations by the way.”

Kathryn gave Chakotay a sideways glance. He shrugged and she turned back to the crowd. “The commander and I have been together for almost five years now.”

There was deathly silence. She waited, counting the seconds in her head. Six, seven, eight…… the hubbub started, crescendoing to a dull roar. Tom waved his hands above his head to quiet the crowd. “Five years?” His brow furrowed as he thought back over the years and then someone piped up from the crowd. “The planet with the bugs.”

Kathryn and Chakotay nodded. “There really isn’t all that much to tell. We fell in love on the planet – we called it New Earth – and decided to remain together once we got back to the ship. We thought we should keep our relationship to ourselves due to regulations and protocols. Also, it was fairly early in our journey and we didn’t want any of the crew to think we were playing favourites. Simple really.”

B’Elanna shook her head and glared at Chakotay. “I’ve been feeling sorry for you all these years. You could have told me.”

He shrugged. “That’s the idea of a secret, B’Elanna. You don’t tell anyone. Besides, we figured that somewhere along the line someone would work it out, but we must have been better at subterfuge than we realised.”

“So all those touches and wistful looks across the bridge were for real?” Tom shook his head. “I feel like a fool. But not as big a fool as some.” He glared pointedly at Harry and B’Elanna.

They shrugged and then smiled at the command couple. Harry raised his glass. “I propose a toast. To the Captain and Chakotay. May you have many more happy years together.”

There was a chorus of “Captain and Chakotay’s” and then everyone began to drift away and resume their chatter and games. Kathryn and Chakotay took a seat and Tom, B’Elanna and Harry joined them. Tom was still shaking his head. “I can’t believe this. All these years and we had no idea.” He looked up at them again. “Did anybody know?”

Kathryn shook her head. “No, and in the end that’s what caused the problem.”

B’Elanna leant forward as far as her belly would allow. “I was going to ask you what prompted your change of mind. I take it that it had something to do with Seven.”

Chakotay chuckled. “Yes, well you could say that.” His friends were all looking at him, waiting for him to elaborate. “She was using a hologram of me to do her ‘research’.”

“Ewwww.” B’Elanna screwed up her nose at the thought. Harry and Tom just looked at each other with raised brows and a glint in their eyes. Realising their mistake they frowned and chorused. “Hmmm, yes yuk.”

B’Elanna, who was sitting in between the two of them, whacked them both simultaneously.

This time they chorused. “Ouch!”

“You’re pigs. That’s all there is to it.” She turned to Kathryn. “Captain, I think you showed great restraint. I would have punched her.”

Chakotay’s knee was pressed against Kathryn’s leg and she could feel him tense and push it more firmly against her. “Yes, well, I’m a Starfleet captain and I can’t indulge in petty revenge.”

Chakotay was almost turning inside out trying not to laugh, and Kathryn had to move her seat a little away from him. He was going to push her off her chair he was pressing his leg so hard against her.

Harry and Tom nodded sagely, most impressed with their commanding officer’s forbearance. At that point Chakotay excused himself on the pretence of getting another drink. Tom tapped Harry on the shoulder and indicated the vacant pool table with a jerk of his head. “Want a game, Harry?”

“Yeah, sure. I feel a winning streak coming on.”

“Ha, in your dreams, Kim.” They excused themselves and jostled each other as they made their way to the cue rack.

B’Elanna sat back with her arms folded, contemplating her captain. “OK. So what did you do? The men have gone, its time to dish, woman to woman.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Lieutenant.”

“Pffft. Don’t give me that Lieutenant crap. I know you, Captain. You would’ve been livid. So what did you do? You obviously didn’t toss her out an airlock, but I bet you thought about it. Am I right?”

Kathryn looked over both shoulders to check that there was no one else in hearing range. “Yes, you’re right. But don’t you dare say a word to anybody. I’d like to keep my pristine command image intact.”

“Consider it set in stone. But I want to know what you did as payback.”

Kathryn pursed her lips and tried not to smile. She leant forward slightly and huffed out a breath. “I used Chakotay’s boxing program and made a punching bag that resembled Seven of Nine.”

B’Elanna’s eyes widened and her face started to crumple as Kathryn let fly with the clincher. “And I beat the crap out of it.”

B’Elanna burst out laughing and Kathryn chuckled along with her. “You’re sworn to secrecy. Not a word, do you hear? I’ll deny it to my dying breath.”

“Captain, your secret is safe with me.” B’Elanna had tears running down her face. “You’ve made my day, no, make that my month, maybe even my year.”

Tom, Harry and Chakotay arrived back at the table just as the women were recovering from their laughter.

“What’s so funny?” Tom looked at his wife.

She looked at Kathryn and sniggered. “It was just an old joke. You’ve heard it before. I just get a _kick_ out of the _punch_ line.”

Kathryn rolled her eyes and then looked at Chakotay. “Ready to go? I’ve got to be up early tomorrow.”

“Ready when you are.” He offered his arm and she looped her arm through. They said their goodnights and were again congratulated by the crew as they made their way to the door.

They wandered slowly up the corridor towards the turbo lifts. “Well that went off relatively well, don’t you think?”

He nodded. “Very well indeed, and I think you showed great restraint where Seven was concerned. The epitome of authoritative self-control. I was very proud of you.”

Kathryn snorted. “Rubbish. You would have loved to see me pop her one right on the nose. Don’t lie.”

He laughed. “You know me far too well. But we’ll just have to restrict ourselves to the holodeck. You know, this could be excellent therapy. We could make punching bags that resembled all sorts of people we didn’t like. The Borg Queen…”

Kathryn nodded. “That fellow with the bad hair who ran the Think Tank…”

“Seska…” Chakotay sounded like he relished that idea. Kathryn grimaced.

“The Doctor, come annual physical time…”

“I wouldn’t mind one of that Inspector Kashyk. Hmmm, this idea has merit.” Chakotay was enjoying this far too much.

Smiling she dragged him through the doors to their quarters. “Come on, I’ve got some other sort of therapy in mind.” She stood to attention in front of him. “Alright, Commander. Front and centre. Strip.”

He gave her a dimpled smile and began to slowly unbutton his shirt. Taking a step towards her he tossed it aside and grabbed her around the waist toppling them on to the couch. He nuzzled her neck and whispered in her ear as she squirmed against him. “Yes, Ma’am. Crunch time?”

Down in Sandrine’s Tom potted the eight ball and stood back looking very satisfied. “Well Harry, what a night that was. Next time you’ll believe me.”

“I don’t know, Tom. You were right, one time out of how many? I’d stick to pool if I were you.” He slapped his friend on the shoulder. “Well, thanks for the game, but I’m off to bed. See you in the morning. ‘Night B’Elanna.”

B’Elanna waved. “Night, Harry.” She wandered over to Tom and snuggled into his side. “You’re very pleased with all of this, aren’t you?”

“Well, aren’t you? We’ve wanted this to happen for years and then to find out that it’s been happening for years…..” He frowned. “That didn’t come out right. Anyway, I’m happy for them and for us.” He kissed her and held her tight. “Let’s get you home to bed.” He waggled his eyebrows. “Now there’s a thought.”

B’Elanna slapped his arm and laughed. “You’re a pig.”

He tugged her close. “You better believe it.” The doors opened and they stepped into the corridor. They both turned and looked back into the warmly lit saloon, Tom smiled. “Computer end program.”

 

_End_


End file.
